Drop all charges against Anthony McKay.

McKay is the 29-year-old young man/father who caught a drug dealer breaking into his work truck to steal his tools and intervened.

The bad guy had a knife and a police night stick. McKay had his fists, but that was enough. When the cops arrived at McKay’s house, they found the bad guy on the ground with a broken jaw and McKay safe and sound.

So, of course, they pressed charges...against McKay.

Well, today was the day of Anthony’s arraignment. His lawyer fully expected the Essex County DA, Jonathan Blodgett, to drop the case. Instead, the DA raised the stakes by charging Anthony with a felony—and up to 5 years in prison—for aggravated assault.

In addition, the DA’s office announced that they were going to request the “victim’s” medical records. That’s right: DA Blodgett thinks the repeat drug offending, night-stick-carrying, knife-wielding would-be robber is a “victim.”

Why is the DA pushing this case? Because they want to send the message loud and clear. As a Swampscott police spokesman put it: “We don’t urge anybody to (fight back). We want them to call us.”

People should have the right to defend themselves and their property. He should not have had to wait to get through on 911, then wait for the cops to show up and then be told the value is too low for them to file a report and then lose his possessions.